Election season shaping up

MONROE — The upcoming election is already facing challenges, in particular, the race for the Town of Monroe highway superintendent position. James Gulick, the current superintendent who is serving out the term previously held by the late Roy Montanye, has been knocked off the Republican ticket in the upcoming September primary race by challenger Charles Mancuso, who is on the Republican and Conservative line. Gulick, a Democrat, tried to force a primary to run on the Republican ticket as well as the Democratic ticket. According to David Green, commissioner of the Orange County Board of Elections, Mancuso challenged Gulick's petition when he saw it had some of the same signatures as he had. The dates on Mancuso's petition revealed he received the challenged signatures before Gulick's was circulated, Green said. Green said the minimum number of signatures required to get on the ballot is 366. Gulick picked up 390 signatures. Mancuso's challenge resulted in 32 of Gulick's signatures being thrown out. This left Gulick with 358 signatures, not enough to get on the Republican ballot. Gulick will be on the Democratic line in the Primary Day battle on Sept. 13. Mancuso will be running on the Republican and Conservative lines. On the Conservative ticket, Mancuso will be challenged by a write-in campaign. This is the second go-round for the two. Gulick and Mancuso faced off in the 2010 election. In other election news: There will be a Republican primary for the town justice seat. Incumbent Morton Marshalk, endorsed by the Republican Party, is being challenged by Christopher Napolitano, a newcomer to the political field. There are two open town council seats up for grabs in the November election. James Rogers, who has served for 23 years, is not seeking re-election to the four-year term of office. Incumbent Harley Doles, will be campaigning for a second term of office. On the Republican ticket, Dennis McWatters and Neil Dwyer have thrown their hats into the ring. McWatters, a former member of the town's planning board and village Board of Trustees, is currently on the Zoning Board of Appeals. Dwyer is a political newcomer. On the Democratic side will be Doles and Dan Burke. Burke is also new on the political scene, and presently the town's chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals and animal control officer.